C. COMMON DEFICIENCIES IN CONTROL
A number of deficiencies peculiar to timed and rapid fire are:
1. Follow through, applies to slow, timed and rapid fire and should not be confused with recovery. Follow through is the attempt by the shooter to keep everything exactly as it was set up until after the round is on its way to the target. Lack of follow through is a breakdown of one or more of the factors set up by the shooter to control a good shot. For example, lack of follow through might be caused by a speed up of trigger pressure resulting in anticipation of recoil and a heeled shot at one o’clock.
2. Recovery must be made quickly to allow time for aligning sights and positive trigger pressure. Recovering too slowly takes up excess time, alters the shooter’s rhythm, and when he realizes that he has very little time left causes him to speed up his delivery rate. Each shot of a five shot string must be fired individually and uniformly, each one treated as a single shot. The shooter must see five distinct sight alignments.
3. Grip: An incorrect grip will cause misalignment of the sights on recovery after each round is fired. This is corrected by carefully shifting the grip before the next string. Any tilting or turning movement of the head from its normal level position will cause the weapon to appear to recover either to the right or left of the bull’s eye. Both of these errors may cause a delay in firing on the shooter’s part in an effort to correct them, or break his concentration on sight alignment, losing valuable time and causing a loss of rhythm. All these factors add up to a poor string of five shots. Check out and dry fire the position and grip during the three minute preparation period just prior to the range officer’s command “LOAD”.
4. Calling The Shot Group: Many shooters fail to remember each shot on the basis of five individual sight alignments and cannot call the shot group accurately. If the shot group call is made and the call and the group are not together, it is necessary to determine the case and apply positive correction. The weapon probably is not zeroed, the position was bad or the grip incorrect. If the shooter is sure of the zero of his weapon, then dry fire the position and grip before firing the next five shot string.
5. Rhythm is absolutely essential. A common error in sustained fire is trying to make the first shot an X and thereby losing valuable time in getting the string started. When this happens, the shooter usually has poor rhythm and a bad string. When a determined shooter causes the first shot to be fired on time, this same determination brings about a continuous application of the fundamentals that assures a rate of fire that will complete the string on time.
6. In shooting rapid fire the shooter does not have time to correct minor errors in hold. Trigger pressure is applied on the basis of sight alignment and not sight picture. The shooter should make every effort to keep his arc of movement at a minimum, continue positive trigger pressure, maintaining sight alignment, and shoot with a definite rhythm.
7. Lack of A System: When a shooter has a system to follow it relieves his mind so that he can concentrate on performance. Care should be taken during the early stages of instructional practice to comply with each of the items on the worksheets. As the shooter becomes more capable, only the key items of preparation, shot sequence, shot analysis and positive correction are relevant. Methodical repetition of these essential steps will instill in the shooter good shooting habits that will enable him to repeat a good shooting performance. Further, the rapid fire worksheet will help the shooter form the habit of not overlooking any factor that will help his shooting.
8. Complete and instantaneous shot analysis is a mandatory prerequisite for any improvement in your performance or scores. A mental impression of each sight alignment should come at the instant the shot breaks. Corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of a poor performance must be immediately applied. Much has been written about why we shoot poorly; however, be reminded that it is just as advantageous to analyze why you are shooting well on a particular day. It is more helpful to know the right way to perform than to have your mind cluttered with a multitude of “don’ts”. Coaches in particular should concentrate on and emphasize the positive factors.
9. Overeating during the shooting day has lowered may aggregates. The delicate edge that a shooter attains before a match can be completely shattered by one hearty repast. The minimum arc of movement is greatly increased by the pulsations of a heartbeat imprisoned between an overloaded stomach and a suet incased ribcage.
10. Inability to control mental processes indicates a fear of failure or lack of motivation to do your best. The shooter must develop more effective method of stimulating confidence. Review the reasons why you are here as a shooter. You came to win the match. Encourage your competitive instincts by setting a goal as high as you can possibly reach.
11. The shooter’s concentration breaks as target turns. More attention is required in developing a determined attitude and mental alertness. Review the system you use in starting positive trigger pressure and maintaining point of focus on front sight. Apply any correction needed. Remove all doubts as to the location of the center of the aiming area of the target in relation to the edge of the target frame during the preparation stage.
D. TRAINING METHODS
1. Frequent shoulder-to-shoulder competition and regularly scheduled record practice on the firing range is the most effective method of accelerating your development as a top competitive shooter.
2. To be most effective, each practice session must have a goal. You should approach the training period with the idea that you are going to distinctly improve one aspect of your shooting technique and at the same time continue the general improvement of your ability to employ the fundamentals more effectively.
3. To improve your ability to deliver your first shot quickly and accurately, we advise a practice session of about ten rounds delivered in the following manner. Adjust the target turning mechanism to face the target and turn it away after one and one-half seconds. Use your normal preliminary preparation with maximum attention on delivering the first shot without hesitation as the target turns. Fire one shot only. Repeat the exercise ten times with sufficient time between shots to allow for mental reorganization and preparation. Fire two, fire-shot strings with the proper 10 second interval to establish your rhythm and then shoot a rapid fire, 20 shot match for record practice.
4. To improve your ability to achieve rhythm and maintain a point focus on the front sight, place a target on the frame backwards so that no bull’s-eye or aiming point is visible. Assume your stance, position and grip with meticulous attention to detail. Without a point to aim at, you will find that you must trust your stance and position to maintain an acceptable arc of movement in the center of the aiming area on the blank target. You will find it easier to apply the fundamentals and discover that you can deliver the string with amazing accuracy. Rhythm and sight alignment can be maintained with a startling degree of control. This is because the distracting effects of having an exact point of aim has been eliminated. You have no way of knowing when a perfect hold occurs. A perfect sight picture is not necessary. You simply accept minor errors in hold caused by your minimum arc of movement and go ahead and follow your plan of delivery of each shot. After firing on the blank center you should immediately go into a rapid fire stage of fire with a normal target for record practice.
5. Avoid training and shooting alone. Use a training program that duplicates as near as possible the competitive atmosphere of a match. Develop and use a comprehensive plan that improves your ability to employ the fundamentals reliably under pressure and continuously strive for improvement.
6. Dry firing practice should be conducted with the same careful attention to detail as live ammunition practice. The shooter’s rapid fire worksheet (para C, “Establish a System”), this Chapter, is a guide to perfecting your system of shooting control.
7. Improvement of recovery must be approached from two angles: Reestablish a hold in the center of the aiming area, and realignment of the front and rear sights in perfect relationship. Practice and re-practice assuming a proper position that furnishes the shooter with a natural hold that points the shooting arm and weapon at the center of the aiming area. Get a proper grip and head position that gives the shooter a natural sight alignment. Quick recovery is essential. For example, with a 2 second interval to deliver a rapid fire shot, there should not be
